You know those weekends – the ones where everything happens at once, and when Monday comes around, you let out a big sigh of relief – now you can relax! This was one of those weekends for me! Two trips, one comedian, and 5 visitors: beginning with Jeannette’s folks Friday night.

Saturday morning was the first Wild Bird Center of Yarmouth “Terns of Casco Bay aboard the Lucky Catch” trip, and it was a great success. No rarities like tropicbirds or Bridled Terns, but we saw the expected species – and saw many of them very well – and really lucked out with the weather and sea conditions.

As of last night, the forecast was for “near small craft advisory conditions.” And, we were most definitely on a small craft! However, when we arrived this morning, the wind was much lighter than expected, the sun was out, and the seas were calm.

The Lucky Catch.

We headed straight for Outer Green Island, enjoying diving Northern Gannets (30-40) to and from, some very close by. At the island, we enjoyed 6++ Roseate Terns – our primary target for the trip - among the 200++ Common Terns, including one very close pass by the boat in perfect light. Black Guillemots were plentiful as well; 30+ were tallied around the island, with a few more on the way to and from. We also passed Common Loons on the way out, including one raft of 5 in basic plumage.

2++ Bank Swallows, 1+ Tree Swallow, 1 Spotted Sandpiper, and the usual cast (Common Eiders, D.C. Cormorants, Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls, etc) were of course present as well on Outer Green and Junk of Pork.

Outer Green Island, with Junk of Pork Island to the right.

Junk of Pork Island - love that name!

No noteworthy waterfowl or other lingering birds, however. With the wind picking up, we decided to spend time wandering around the sheltered sides of some of the outer Casco Bay islands, checking for something, like say, a Brown Pelican – which had been reported from upper Casco Bay earlier in the week. Therefore, docks, outcroppings, buoys, etc were carefully inspected. No pelican, but we did have a Merlin off Pumpkin Knob – decent for the summer in the area - and a number of Ospreys at and near nests.

In addition to a handful of Harbor Seals, we saw the single Gray Seal that has been spending the last 3-4 summers in Portland Harbor. Then, we finished off the outing with the female Peregrine Falcon roosting under the Casco Bay Bridge. The juvenile has left the nest. (We’ll be running this trip again in early August, see www.yarmouthbirds.com/travels.asp for more information.).

The group.

Then, it was back to the store until the late afternoon, when Richard and his kids dropped in on their way back to NJ, with a few more subjects left to photograph. I jumped in the car, took them to the Peregrine on the Casco Bay Bridge (we only saw the male, and he was rather active), and then on to Scarborough Marsh for photographs of Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrows, which was more successful.

I then met Jeannette in Portland for dinner, we then went to see Bill Maher (he was great, and my stomach was hurting from laughing so hard!), and before I knew it, I was back down in Scarborough Marsh early Sunday morning to lead a walk for York County Audubon.

We began on the Eastern Rd Trail, where the entire group of 19 was treated to stellar views of both Nelson’s and Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrows. When a group of that size all gets the chance to view multiple individuals of both species through a scope, I think that qualifies as a successful outing as well!

We checked the northwest corner of the marsh for a Seaside Sparrow seen earlier this summer, to no avail, but instead we were rewarded with a great show from one very angry Marsh Wren, who seemed to be about to go for my jugular! We also enjoyed some very good looks at Roseate Terns feeding with Common Terns off of Pine Point Beach (and later off of the Pine Point Lobster Co-op).

A whirlwind weekend indeed! Of course, come Monday morning, there was no time to sleep in – as much as I really wanted to today! – as I was off to scout Boothbay Harbor for a private guiding client next week.